New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has brushed off radio shock jock Alan Jones’ remarks about her while Scott Morrison said the comments were “way out of line”.
Jones on Thursday criticised Ms Ardern after she said “Australia has to answer to the Pacific” on climate change during the Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu.
The Sydney radio host said Ms Ardern was a “joke” for preaching about climate change, claiming that New Zealand’s carbon dioxide had increased per capita more than Australia’s since 1990.
He said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison should “shove a sock down her throat”.
Ms Ardern brushed off the remark when asked what she made of it.
“I don’t know that I’m going to give that the light of day, that comment. I think I’ll just leave it where it is,” she said.
Mr Morrison said Jones had gone too far.
“I find that very disappointing and of course that’s way out of line,” he told reporters in Tuvalu on Thursday at the Pacific Islands Forum.
“I mean, I have two daughters. So you can expect that’s how I would feel personally about it.”
Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama took to Twitter to return serve to Jones, saying it was easy for the broadcaster to make such remarks from the comfort of a radio studio.
“The people of the Pacific, forced to abandon their homes due to climate change, don’t have that luxury,” he tweeted.
“Try saying that to a Tuvaluan child pleading for help.”
Former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull liked Mr Bainimarama’s tweet.
“Well said Frank,” Mr Turnbull tweeted. “Jones should also apologise to @jacindaardern for his latest misogynistic rant.”
New Zealand is emerging as a strong ally with Fiji, with Mr Bainimarama also tweeting about the benefits of having such a friend in tackling climate change.
Mr Jones says he meant to say “put a sock in it”.
“This wilful misinterpretation distracts from my point that she was wrong about climate change and wrong about Australia’s contribution to carbon dioxide levels,” he said in a statement.
Oh dear, Cindy has yet again shown how shallow and dumb she really is.
Hahaaa, she has seriously pissed off the Aussies.
I hope they don’t hold it against us, the people who also oppose her virtue signalling.
Shallow as a puddle. Time to start behaving like a Prime Minister and stop telling Australia what to do. Does she not realise that there can be unintended consequences of ill judged comments? Easy for the Aussies to make it harder for NZers living there – wouldn’t be surprised. But she lacks judgement in her ideological pursuit climate change. We can be pure, but we won’t have an economy.
Just keep on doing what you’re doing Cindy, you’re a rockstar. Your current modus operandus will ensure you are voted out of office in next year
Payback 2020.
Alan Johns should be made New Zealander of the year!
I heard hin interviewed this morning. Now if only the local bunch had the same honesty.
““I mean, I have two daughters. So you can expect that’s how I would feel personally about it.” What exactly does that mean – I have 2 daughters and 2 sons, does that make me more balanced?
Only if you’re right. If you’re wrong then you are seriously “:out” of balance.
Like you, I think it was an idiotic thing to say which leads me to think that maybe the Ockers didn’t get what they think they were getting……..
I woke up at 5am this morning and heard the News Talk ZB host talking about the mad queen. He was reading out texts about her and I was estimate 90% were anti.. He had just played a recording of Mike Hosking recently interviewing her on a Tuesday morning and she had only answered 1 out of 19 questions put to her.
She is not well liked and basically a flake.
The odd lefty female was trying to defend her but they were in the minority and quickly ran out of steam.
The bimbo is a bloody embarrassment and has to go.